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Low-carb diet loses cachet
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With low-carb eating back in its rightful spot alongside cabbage soup and grapefruit diets, we are celebrating foods that give comfort and energy. We're carbo-loading again and proud of it.
"The carb mania finally has subsided," says Cynthia Harriman, spokeswoman for the Whole Grain Council in Boston.
Carbohydrates, an important part of any healthy diet, are the body's No. 1 choice of fuel. Before the Atkins and South Beach diets vilified and blamed carbs for super-sizing our bellies, they were accepted as the building blocks of a sensible eating plan.
Today, carbs have regained the respect they deserve, with the realization by former low-carb disciples that, when eaten regularly, carbs do not lead to weight gain unless they are gobbled to excess.
"It never made sense to me that people believed that if they stayed away from pasta for more red meat they would be thinner and healthier. Those of us who know the power of pasta survived the attack by realizing that moderation eventually will prevail," says Wade Moises, chef at Sassi, a high-end Italian eatery in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"Carbs were never the enemy, and finally the low-carb (craze) is exposed as the fad it was."
Nutritionists, in fact, recommend a carb-heavy diet. Calories should be divided this way: 40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates; 20 to 30 percent from protein; and 30 percent fat.
Pasta, potatoes and rice - the three missed sorely during the no-carb era - also provide essential nutrients and little harm.
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Pasta is fortified with folic acid, an essential B vitamin. A half-cup serving contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat and less than 5 milligrams of sodium.
Potatoes are high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium. They contain no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium. And a 6-ounce potato contains 3 grams of highly digestible protein.
White rice is a good source of insoluble fiber, low in fat, contains some protein and plenty of B vitamins.
The key is eating these time-tested and economical favorites in moderation.
Layered Rice Pesto and Pepper Bake
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3 cups cooked rice
1 3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto sauce
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
10 ounces roasted red peppers
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drain, pat dry and chop roasted peppers. Set aside.
Combine rice, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spray a 7-inch-diameter soufflé dish or springform pan with nonstick vegetable spray.
Place half of rice mixture in bottom of prepared dish or pan. Pat down well. Spread half of pesto evenly over rice and sprinkle with half of goat cheese. Layer half of red peppers over goat cheese. Repeat above layers. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in preheated oven. Cut into wedges to serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Karen Fernau
Source: Rochester Democrat and ChronicleAll rights reserved.